An earlier version of this article was updated in July 2023 to reflect the most recent data published by 24/7 Wall Street.
Drinking is fun. It’s that simple. Wine, beer, and liquor can all take your night from good to great if chosen well, and in sufficient quantities, they will all get you buzzed. But, at what point does tipsy pleasure turn into a whirlwind of terrible dance moves and poor texting choices?
If you can’t answer these questions yourself, perhaps someone from Wisconsin can. At least, according to the list of The Drunkest Cities in America released by 24/7 Wall Street. As it turns out, America’s Dairyland is home to a staggering 7 of the top 10 drunkest cities in the country.
The list was compiled using data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. “Drunkenness” per city was measured by the percent of the population that report either binge drinking or drinking heavily — meaning 4 to 5 drinks in a sitting or 15 or more drinks per week, respectively — during a 30-day period.
Researchers examined county health data from 281 metro areas in the U.S., ultimately ranking cities by the percentage of adults that drink excessively. 24/7 Wall Street’s round-up also includes relevant data on the number of bars and restaurants per capita, residents’ median income, and percentage of driving deaths involving alcohol, though those factors didn’t impact where each city placed on the list of the nation’s biggest drinkers.
Does your home state throw down like Wisconsin does? Below are the top 20 heaviest-drinking cities in America and the corresponding percentage of adults that drink excessively in them:
- Green Bay, WI (26.5%)
- Eau Claire, WI (26.2%)
- Appleton, WI (26.2%)
- Madison, WI (25.9%)
- Fargo, ND-MN (25.2%)
- Oshkosh-Neenah, WI (24.5%)
- Missoula, MT (24.3%)
- Grand Forks, ND-MN (24.2%)
- Wausau, WI (24.2%)
- La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN (23.8%)
- Mankato-North Mankato, MN (23.6%)
- Fond du Lac, WI (23.5%)
- Iowa City, IA (23.1%)
- Dubuque, IA (23.0%)
- Sheboygan, WI (23.0%)
- Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (22.9%)
- Lincoln, NE (22.7%)
- Fairbanks, AK (22.7%)
- Ames, IA (22.7%)
- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI (22.5%)
